Socks
by rewob17
Summary: Why does Danny always wear socks with patterns and not just plain socks? This is pure fluff.


Disclaimers: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters. I do own socks. ;-)

A/N: I do not know where the idea for this story came from. It is nothing but fluff... and maybe a little Danny whump because I just can't help myself. Enjoy.

* * *

Steve McGarrett coughed and ineffectively waved at the dust floating in the air around him. He was dazed but conscious from the explosion. It took him a moment to realize he was lying on his side, seemingly wedged between at least two large chunks of concrete. When he finally got his eyes to focus, he couldn't figure out what he was seeing. At first, he thought he was just seeing spots in his vision but then realized that the spots were actually neon green polka dots on dark blue material. Socks. Danny's socks!

"Danny?" It came out a croak. He coughed and tried to clear his throat to try again. This time he managed to be a little louder, "Danny?"

"It's about time you woke up," Danny groused.

"Sorry," Steve mumbled. He looked at Danny's feet which was all he could see of his partner. "You okay?"

"I'm swell, Steven," Danny's voice floated back to him sounding more than a little irritated. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, but wedged in here pretty tight," Steve told him. "Seriously, how are you?"

Danny sighed, "Aside from a ton or so of concrete which seems to be resting on my legs, I'm okay. You're the one who was unconscious for a few minutes; how's your head?"

"It's fine, really," Steve assured him. "I'm gonna see if I can get out of this hole I'm in and get us out of here. How's it look on your end?"

"It looks like a building blew up around us," Danny retorted. "I can't see much since I'm lying on my stomach, but there's light coming from up ahead."

"Okay, hold on. I'm gonna see if I can get out of here," Steve started to wiggle and push some of the smaller chunks of concrete out of his way.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Danny yelled.

Steve froze, "What? You okay?"

Danny groaned and panted, "Don't move any more. Whatever you did, it shifted the pile on my legs."

"You okay?" Steve was concerned he'd caused his friend more injury.

"Yeah," Danny paused to catch his breath again. "Yeah, I think so. It's just heavier than it was. I can't move my legs at all."

"Do you think anything's broken?"

"I don't think so, but my feet are going numb."

Steve tentatively reached out and found that he could move his right arm without shifting any of the debris. He grabbed one of Danny's feet and tried to rub it.

"What are you doing?"

"Can you feel that?" Steve wondered. "Does it help?"

"Did you just take my shoes off and start rubbing my feet?"

Steve rolled his eyes even though his partner couldn't see him. "First, your shoes must have been knocked off in the explosion so no, I did not take your shoes off. Second, I'm not giving you a foot rub."

"Good," Danny interrupted. "Save that for Catherine."

"I am trying," Steve continued as he tried to push down a sigh, "to keep your circulation going. Third, what is up with your socks?"

"My socks?" Danny questioned. "We're buried in a building that exploded... a building that exploded with us inside, I might add... and you're admiring my socks?!"

"Not exactly admiring them," Steve said dryly. "Just wondered why you always wear that kind of socks. What's wrong with plain, ordinary socks?"

"There you go needing to know every last detail of my life again," Danny groused. "Why do you want to know about my socks?"

"Because they're the only part of you I can see right now," Steve continued to rub Danny's feet, enclosed in those same socks he was talking about and then admitted, "And I've always wanted to ask but never really knew how."

There was a moment of quiet before Danny's voice floated back to him through the rubble again, "I don't think I should tell you."

"What?!" Steve stopped rubbing his feet momentarily. "Why not?"

"Because you got us blown up in a building!"

Steve sighed dramatically, "We didn't get blown up, Danno. We're still here, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are still here!" Danny exclaimed. "We are still here because we are stuck!"

"We were chasing a suspect, Danny. What was I supposed to do, huh? Was I supposed to just let him get away?"

"There was a sign, Steven," Danny pointed out. "A sign stating this building was scheduled for demolition. And do you see said suspect around here? Do you? No! Because he was smart enough to not get stuck in the building when they blew it up around us!"

"The building wasn't supposed to be demolished until tomorrow," Steve explained. "How was I supposed to know they were going to do it a day early and while we were still inside? Besides, you followed me so don't put this all on me. Will you quit griping about it if I promise to buy beers when we get out of here?"

"I hope Chin and Kono weren't next to the building when it blew," Danny mused.

"I'm sure they're fine," Steve assured him. "Besides, the building didn't blow up. It was just the supports that were rigged with the explosives so that it would bring it down with a minimum of effort."

"Well, that's a relief."

Before Steve could reply to Danny's sarcasm, the sound of a cell phone ringing echoed in their surroundings.

"Aw, man," Danny groaned. "I can see it, but I'm not sure I can reach it!" After a few more groans and not a little bit of cussing, Danny was finally able to stretch a hand out and nab the phone, but not before it quit ringing. It immediately started to ring again and Danny smiled when he saw Chin's face pop up on the screen. He pressed the button to put it on speaker, "Hey, Chin, you got me and beached SEAL here. What's up?"

"Cute, Danny," Steve muttered.

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Chin responded, "You guys okay?"

"We're just hanging out. How are you?"

"We're fine," Chin told him. "We tried to stop the demolition crew, but they could only stop half of the charges. You guys really okay?"

"Ask him about the suspect," Steve told him.

"What about the suspect? Did he make it out?"

"Yeah, he was almost out when the building collapsed. He's dusty but fine. HPD has him in custody now. What about you two? Can you get out?"

"Nope," Danny sighed. "We're pretty much stuck, but we're okay for now. My legs are pinned, and if Steve moves, he shifts the pile so he can't get out without burying me."

"Don't tempt me," Steve muttered under his breath and Danny completely ignored.

"Alright, the fire department just pulled up, and they'll be able to get you outta there, I'm sure."

"Thanks, buddy," Danny was relieved that the end seemed to be in sight. "We'll see you soon."

"Don't go anywhere."

"Funny guy," Danny told him as he disconnected the call. "You hear all that?"

"Yeah," Steve answered. "So we've got a little time for you to tell me about your socks."

"Really?" Danny asked. "What is it with you and my wardrobe choices?"

"The tie I sort of understood although I must say that you fit in much more without the tie than you did with it, but the socks? Those I don't get "

"There's nothing to get," Danny told him. "The very first time that Grace came to see me after Rachel and I split up, she told me that I looked sad and the next time she got to see me she'd bring me something to cheer me up. So the next time she came over, she brought me over a pair of socks," Danny smiled at the memory. "They were black with yellow smiley faces. She told me that I could wear them and think of her when I saw them."

"That's very sweet," Steve commented.

"So it became a thing," Danny continued. "She'd bring me over a pair of socks with some sort of design, and sometimes we'd even go sock shopping just so she could pick out socks for me. When she came over after she learned Rachel was bringing her here to Hawaii, she brought me a pair of socks with pineapples on them."

"So that's why you hate pineapples!"

"I don't hate pineapples... I just get tired of seeing them everywhere." Danny admitted. "So I wear socks with patterns because they remind me of Grace. I know, I know, it sounds silly."

Steve was grateful his partner couldn't see his grin, "No, it's not silly. It's very cute. I bet Grace loves it."

Danny smiled, "She does. She'll still bring me socks sometimes and when she's with me, she'll pick out the socks she wants me to wear. I know she'll grow out of it someday but for now it's our thing."

They were interrupted by shouting and the sound of people scrambling over the rubble. Soon, Danny could see lights from the firemen's headlamps and see them making their way to them, "Hey, looks like the cavalry's here."

"Good," Steve told him. "I'm getting tired of rubbing your stinky feet."

"Hey, guys,' Danny waved at their newly arrived rescuers. "Come to join the party?"

"Detective," the first fireman greeted him as he knelt down to assess the rubble keeping him pinned down while waving the others to assess the situation on the other side. "Don't worry, we'll have you both out of here in no time."

"Good," Danny grinned. "My partner's promised to buy me beers for getting me into this mess. That is, if he didn't lose his wallet in the explosion."

"I just might have," Steve muttered as the firemen set to work on freeing them.

An hour later the pair were on their way to Queens for a thorough evaluation. Steve tried to talk his way out of it, but Danny told the paramedics about Steve losing consciousness and that was all it took for Chin, Kono and all the firemen to insist that he be looked over. Danny was carried out of what little was left of the building on a backboard, being unable to walk with his numb feet and quickly swelling ankles. He couldn't help the grin he aimed at his partner when Steve lost the hospital argument.

Later that afternoon, having both been admitted for observation, the partners were quickly getting on each others' nerves due to the inactivity. Danny was most frustrated with his inability to get out of bed, but the doctor didn't want him to put any weight on his legs until morning at least to give the swelling a chance to go down. "I'm missing my night with Grace," he grumbled.

"Kono's picking her up and bringing her here," Steve reminded him. "You'll still get your time together."

"Great," Danny groused. "In a hospital. Just where I wanted to be spending time with her."

"Cheer up, Danny," Steve told him. "It's one night."

"Danno!" Grace exclaimed as she burst through the door.

"Monkey!" Danny held out his arms for a hug. "How was school?"

Grace shrugged, "Good."

"That's it? Just good?" Danny questioned and then looked over at Kono. "Thanks for picking her up."

"Any time, Brah,"

"So what's in the bag?" Danny nodded at the bag dangling from Grace's hand.

"I thought you and Uncle Steve might need some cheering up," Grace smiled. She reached in and handed a small wrapped package to him, "Open it."

Danny smiled at his daughter and slid his finger under the tape at the edge of the package and then shook out the contents. He smiled at his daughter, not entirely surprised by the contents, "Thank you, Monkey. They're perfect." He held up the socks so Steve could see them. They were black with little brown monkeys frolicking all over them.

Grace smiled and kissed him on the cheek before she reached in the bag for a similar bundle and took it over to Steve. "Go ahead, open it"

Steve grinned like a kid in the candy shop and ripped into his present.

"Animal," Danny muttered as he watched him tear into it with gusto.

As Steve got the package open, he suddenly stopped and stared in shock. His mouth dropped open and he looked over at Danny. Finally, he was able to look at Grace, "Thanks, Grace. I'm touched. Danno was just telling me about your special gifts of socks."

Grace pointed at something on his present. "Do you like them? Do you get it?"

Steve brought the package up to squint at it, nodded, and ruefully looked at Danny, sure he would never live it down and equally sure that his partner would make him wear them as often as possible.

Danny couldn't see what was in the package until Steve held them up to get a closer look. When Danny could finally see them, he burst out laughing and couldn't stop the tears from rolling down his face. They were navy blue with little seals all over them.


End file.
